School seat and desk



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. W. PEREGRINE.

SCHOOL SEAT AND DESK.

(No Model.)

Patented Sept. 22, 1885.

In v-c n% 7' fi ay mawr 21215 90151 gym; 25,;

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.v

(No Model.)

S. W. PEREGRINB.

SCHOOL SEAT AND DESK.

No. 326,774. Patented Sept. 22, 1885..

N. PETERS, Whom-Lithograph wnhlngn D4 1.

UNITED STATES ATENT FKCE:

SEYMOUR YV. IEREGRINE, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

SCHOOL SEAT AND DESK.

.SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,77 dated September 22, 1885.

Application filed January 14, 1885. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SEYMOUR W. PERE- GRINE, of Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented new and useful Improvements in School Seats and Desks: and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in school desks and seats, and seats for opera-chairs and for public halls.

The invention consists in the peculiar arrangement and construction of the parts, all as more fully hereinafter set forth.

It is a wellknown fact that the most suitable position a scholar should assume at his desk for writing is not a suitable position for him to read in; but with stationary or partlyadjustable desks as they are in present use there is but little chance for the scholar to assume different positions, however necessary it is both for his health and comfort. Such adjustability of desk which only permits of varying its incline is insufficient, as it does not change the focal distance enough to relieve the eye of the scholar from that weariness produced by continued use of the eye without materially changing its focus, and which is so productive of short-sightedness.

My invention produces a desk which is not only adjustable as to its incline, but which is also adjustable in its height to a much larger degree than is obtained by a mere changing of its incline around stationary hinges. In combination with such adjustability I have arranged a contrivance by means of which the scholar can instantly, by a simple turning of a hand-lever, effect any desired adjustment without moving from his scat.

A further object of my invention is to improve the construction of the stop for the fold ing seat and of the hinges, by means of which the folding seat and the cover of the desk are secured. These parts are generally trouble some and need the special attention of the manufacturer. I have devised new constructions by means of which they will prove more suitable in their different functions.

My invention also includes an improved construction of devices used for securing the wooden slats of the seat and its back to the iron frame.

In the drawings which accompany this specification, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved school desk and seat. Fig. 2 is a sectional front elevation, the parts in section being shown on a plane which passes through the hinges and stops of the folding seat. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the desk and the upper portions of the standards, both detached from each other. Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of the device for securing the wooden slats to the iron frame. Fig. 5 is a plan of the desk, showing the arrangement of the desk-hinge. Fig. 6 is a cross section of the desk-hinge on line 00 w in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is an elevation of the desk-hinge. Fig. 8 is a modification of the seat-hinge shown in Fig. 2.

A A are the iron standards which form the supporting-frame of the school desk and seat. B is the folding seat. 0 is the wooden back of the seat, and D is the desk, all these parts being of well -known construction and arrangement except as hereinafter specified.

The seat consists of a series of wooden slats secured edge to edge upon the top rail of the two iron brackets D D. These brackets are pivotally secured upon their lower ends to the standards A, so as to form a hinge, E, for folding the scat backward, a stop or buffer, F, operating in connection therewith to limit the forward and backward motion of the seat in folding and unfolding.

The construction of the hinges E is as follows: a is a taper bushing of Babbitt or other soft composition. It has a flange, I), on one end, and has a bolt, 0, passing through it and the standard A. The lower end of the bracket D has a taper socket formed in it. which fits the taper of the bushing, and a suitable nut and washer upon the inner end of the bolt hold the parts in position and form the means for tightening the joint. \Vith this construction of the hinge all lost motion can be taken up and the most suitable stiffness of joint obtained and maintained without any further attention than an occasional tightening of the screw-nut.

In Fig. 8 I show a detached section of a modification of the seat-hinge just described, and which works upon the same principle; but instead of journaling the seat-bracket upon the taper bushing, the taper bushing forms, so to speak, a part of the seat-bracket, and is journaled into the iron standard.

The buffer F, which works in connection with the iron brackets of the hinged seat to arrest it in the proper position to sit on, and also to prevent its being folded too far back, is constructed as follows: (Z d are two bushings provided with flanges upon their outer ends. e is a rubber ring fitting upon the hubs of thebushing, and f is a bolt passing through the standard and provided with a suitable nut, by means of which the rubber ring is firmly compressed between the flanges of the bushings, and whereby the whole buffer is firmly secured to the standard. The inner ends of the bushings are so shaped that one projects within the other, so as to look upon each other and resist lateral displacement, as shown in the drawings, where the end of one bushing is shown convex and the other concave.

A buffer thus constructed operates noiselessly without being too yielding. It is very firm, owing to the interlocking of the two bushings. Its rubber ring is firmly compacted, and it has the further advantage that the deterioration of the rubber ring does not affect its rigidity.

The slats of the seat and of the back are secured to their standards or supports in a novel manner, (shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the'drawings,)in which G is an iron pin, cast or otherwise secured to the standard A and to the top rails of the seat-brackets. Thesepins project just thethickness of the slats. They have an oval-shaped head formed upon their free ends, and beneath this head the pin has a contracted neck, so as to form two partial screw-threads, g 9, upon the two most eccentric parts of the head. H is a round nut with an opening through it large enough to allow the nut to be slipped over the head. Upon two opposite sides ofthis opening two partial screw-threads, h h, are formed, similar to the screw-threads upon the heads of the pin. Holes are bored through the slats to receivethe pins, and suitable countersinks are made to receive the nuts, with rubber or paper washers at the bottom, so as to bring them flush or nearly so with the face of the slat. the head of apin, a quarter ofa turn is given to the nut, which, for that purpose, has a groove across its face to be operated by a wrench. This turning of the nut engages its screw-threads underneath the screw-threads of the head, and firmlypresses the slat against itstsupport. The rubber or paper washers prevent the nuts from working loose. The

head of the pin is preferably provided with a little boss, 1', and a corresponding notch, j, is formed in the nut.which, when the latter is properly tightened, looks with the little boss After a nut is slipped overv z'. In addition to this means for securing the slats in position upon their supports, the slats are provided with dowels upon their adjoining edges, or any other known device for securing the edges of the slats together may be used.

The desk D is of the usual form; but its lid is hinged to the ink-well board by an improved strap hinge constructed as follows: I is the stationary part of the hinge, and J the movable part. The latter is secured by screws to the under side of the lid outside of the deskframe, and is of proper shape and length to prevent the lid from warping. The stationary part of the hinge is secured to the inside of the deskframe, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, by means of suitable screws or rivets, 7c. The inner ends of the straps of the hinges turn upwa'rdly, with an eye formed on each, through which the rivet passes to hold the hinge-joints together. The eyes of the hinges have bosses Zformed upon their inner faces to bring the two straps the necessary distance apart to allow the lid-strap to come outside the desk-frame and the other strap to come inside the same. One of the bosses Z has a shoulder formed upon it, and the other is formed cup-shaped and journaled upon this shoulder, so as to take the strain off from the rivet, which latter merely holds thejoint together. The hinge-joint is entirely concealed within the 1id,with the pivotal point in the central plane of the lid, and the joint between the ink-well board and the .lid concentric to this pivotal point. By this arrangement no weak edges are formed on the joints between these boards, and no liability exists of wedging anything between them.

Tov each side of the desk are secured two pins, 0 p, which project outwardly therefrom, and which engage into slots or grooves m n, formed in the upper part of each standard. In Fig. 1 the pins 0 p rest upon the bottom of their respective slots, and thereby hold the desk firmly in a position which is calculated to be the lowest for practical use in writing. To raise the desk vertically and lock it in position at varying heights, I have contrived the following simple arrangement: 1" is a shaft journaled in the standards below the desk. 8 is a handle for turning the shaft. t is a semicircle provided with a series of notches, u, for locking the handle, which is made of springmetal, in position to engage into one of the notches. o are two slotted or. grooved cams secured upon the shaft r, and w w are two pins projecting inwardly from the lower ends of the frames of the desk. The pins to engage into the grooves or slots 22 of the cams 'u, and by turning the handle 8 the desk can be adjustedfvertically. The throw of the cams is made sufficient to raise the desk by half a turn of the handle from its lowest position to its highest position, the pins 0p being compelled to travel in the slots m n, and give the desk the inclination which results from the relative inclination of the two slots. As the desk in its higher positions is the most suitable for reading, the slots in n are given such a relative inclination to each other that simultaneously with the raising of the desk into its higher positions it changes gradually from the level which it assumes in its lowest positionstoanincliueinthehighestposition. Thus the desk at its different heights is also made to alter its incline in the manner most suitable forthe work at which the different heights of the desk ought to be used.

In the drawings it will be observed that the slot a, beginning from its lowest point, assumes gradually a rearward sweep toward its upper end, while the upper slot, m, is straight and nearly vertical. This relative arrange ment of the two slots produces the desired change of inclination at the different heights of the desk.

To enable the desk to be removed from the standards, the upper slot, m, is left open at the top, and the lower slot, n, is provided with an exit-groove, n,through which the pin 1) may be passed out. To remove the desk, the lever sis turned until it engages into the notch a, which brings the pins 1) to the exit-slots a, and turns the cams 1; into such a position that the pins w, which engage into these cams, may he also disengaged from the cam-slots. By tipping the desk now upwardly the pinsp 20 will easily disengage from their respective slots and the desk can be removed.

The semicircle t is provided with several notches, to lock the lever s in different intermediate positions between the highest and lowest, so as to suit the requirements of scholars of various ages, and to make the adjusting devices work noiselessly I cushion the notches with rubber, and also provide rubber cushions for the closed ends of the slots on it, against which the pins 0 p are intended to rest at the lowest or highest adjustments of the desk. The latter rubber cushions I preferably construct by forming a half-circular enlargement in the end of the slot, and inserting therein a rubber plate of proper size to form a halfcircular cushion. By such an arrangement the natural tendency of the rubber keeps it firmly in place without the aid of other devices.

The spirit of my invention in the adjustable desk consists in providing the standards with guide slots or grooves and the desk with guidepins, or vice versa, in combination therewith devices for holding the desk in position at (lifferent heights. Various devices may be adopted for this purpose, such as providing the main guide-slots mn with little pockets or offsets at different heights, into which the pins 0 may be engaged. I11 the practical application of my invention, however, it will be considered a great advantage to combine the vertical adjusting devices with a mechanically-operating device for effecting any desired adjustment instantly, noiselessly, and simply by turning a handle convenient to the hand of the scholar while sitting at his desk, a device which can be safely and easily operated by the merest child.

A further advantage gained by the use of my adjustable desk is that the unsymmetrical appearance of the school-rooms arising from the use of school-desks of various sizes to suit scholars of different ages and body development is greatly done away with, as in addition to the vertical adjustment of the desk I provide the standards with adjusting-holes z for the hinge of the seat, so as to adjust the seat higher or lower, as required for the comfort of the scholar.

To prevent spilling of the ink while adjust ing or removing it, I preferably use an inkwell which fastens to the back.

I deem it important that the bushing a be of soft metal and of taper form, as such material avoids creaking and allows the loss by wear to be readily taken up.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In a folding seat, the hinge E, provided with the flanged taper bushing a, of soft cornposition metal, which forms the pivot of the hinge, and the bolt 0, provided with nut and washer to tighten the hinge and secure it to the standard, substantially as described.

2. In a folding seat, the buffer F, consisting of the rubber ring 6, of the bushings d, having compression-flanges for the rubber ring and interlocking ineetingfaces, and of the bolt f and its nut, all combined substantially as described.

3. In aschool desk and seat, the devices for securing the slats of the seat and back, consisting of the pins G, secured to the frame and provided with partial screw-threads formed by undercutting their heads, and of the round coinpressingnuts, also provided with partial screw-threads and adapted to he slipped over the head of the pin and secured thereupon by a quarter-turn, all arranged substantially as described.

4. In aschool desk and seat, a seat-fastening device consisting of a round pin, G, provided with interrupted single screw-threads upon its head formed by cutting away the body of the pin, of a round nut provided with similar interrupted single screw-threads and adapted to he slipped over the head of the pin and secured thereupon by a quarter-turn, and of the bossi and notch j forlocking the nutin position, all arranged substantially as described.

5. In a school-desl ,a1id-hinge with its pivotal point located in the central plane of the lid and the joint between the ink-well board and lid concentric thereto, said lid-hinge consisting of the straps I J, turned upwardly at their inner ends and provided with bossesZ upon their eyes, which admit of securing the stationary part of the hinge inside of the desk-frame and the movable part outside, said bosses forming a cup-joint secured together by a rivet, all constructed substantially as de scribed.

6. In an adjustable schooldesk, adjusting devices forehanging the height and inclination of the desk, the same consisting of guide slots or grooves of relative different inclines in the standards and guide-pins upon the sides of the desk engaging into these slots or grooves, or vice versa, in combination with devices for holding the desk in its adjusted position, substan-tiallyas set forth.

7. In an adjustable school-desk, and in com bination with the guide-slots and guide-pins of the desk, at mechanically-operating device for adjusting the desk, consisting of the rock shaft 9', grooved cams 1;, pins 10, handle 8, and notched quadrant or semicircle t, or other equivalent device.

8. In an adjustable school-desk, and in combination with the guide-slots m n and guidepins 0 p and the mechanically-operating adjusting device, the spring-handle 8, arranged upon the side of one standard within reach of the scholar from his seat, and the notched semicircle or quadrant t, substantially as described.

9. In an adjustable school-desk, and in combination with the guide-pins 0 29 upon the side of the desk engaging into the guide slots or grooves in the standards, the slots n, provided with the exit-slots n, and the slots m, open at notch a, of the adjusting device so arranged as to fix the point of exit for the simultaneous withdrawal of the pins 19 andw, substantially as described.

12. In an adjustable school-desk, the combi nation of the guide-pins 01), upon the sides of the desk, of the guide-slots m n in the standards, and of rubber cushions arranged in the ends of the guide-slots and formed by rubber plates fitted into half-circular enlargements in theends of theslots,substanti'al1y as described.

SEYMOUR W. PEREGRINE. Wit ness'es:

GEO. MoNEIL, H. N. 191201;. 

